Just returned from my repair center (independent M-B service) with a gasp at the repair estimate and an inoperative air conditioner.
According to the shop, the auxilary fans are frozen and there is a massive R-134 leak from the evaporator. They stopped the estimate at $2K...... I agree with the frozen fans but, would they cause a increase in pressurization in the A/C line to cause a leak in the evaporator ??
Additionally, they quoted 18.1 hrs labor for the work.
Does anyone know where the evaporator is located in a '99 C230K ?
Thanks,

Ed

 

a foot away from the gas pedal.

need to remove the dashboard to get to it.

if one of your hobby is doing big puzzles or model airplanes and ships, then you can do it. it takes good memory as to where the parts and the screws go.

 

Sounds like this fix is going to a experienced shop.
So much for the vacation in Tahiti !!

 

Hold on - you don't want to pass on the Tahiti trip, the Southern Cross is all that it is said to be! Did the tech show you the frozen fans? What he is saying is that both cooling fans have failed, which is possible but unlikely to happen at once.

1) If your car does in fact have 2 fans, stick your hand in there and try to turn them or just idle the car until it warms up to see if they operate. If they do not, your cars engine will overheat in traffic b/c the same fans cool the engine coolant also.

2)Borrow, or buy for <$20 an r134 test gauge from your local auto parts store and hook it up to the a/c 'low side' connection and see if there is any freon in the system. If there is a 'massive' freon leak, the freon will be poking holes in the ozone layer and the pressure will be zero. The auto parts guy can assist with this and it will take less time to open the the gauges package than to test it.

good luck.

 

Thanks for the info..... I ordered 2 fans from performance products for 1/2 of what Mercedes wants for them. Seems as the fan failure was caused from road debris in the fan shrouds... small stones and such in the fan shroud caused the fans to jam up and burn out the motors. Yep, I disassembled them far enough to put an external 12volts to the fans.
Good idea on borrowing the test guage.... I'll see my brother-in-law this weekend.
Also, I read in another post about a e320 with an inop A/C system..... they stated that resetting the computer allowed the A/C to function again and only required a top off of R134........ Time to get out the ODBC diagnostic reader.

Thanks.